A self-regulatory organization (SRO) is an organization that exercises some degree of regulatory authority over an industry or profession. The regulatory authority could be applied in addition to some form of government regulation, or it could fill the vacuum of an absence of government oversight and regulation. The ability of an SRO to exercise regulatory authority does not necessarily derive from a grant of authority from the government.

Because of the prominence of the SROs in the securities industry, the term SRO is often used too narrowly to describe an organization authorized by statute or government agency to exercise control over a certain aspect of the industry.